The scope of this invention relates to a device for signalling and indicating the presence of cartridges within a pistol chamber.
The pistol-type semi-automatic weapons are characterized in that they possess a chamber incorporated to the weapon's barrel, to house a cartridge at the time of each firing. By reason of their particular configuration, the weapon's user or a bystander is not able to visually perceive whether the chamber is loaded or not, very pistol in this condition is in a potentially dangerous condition, since upon actuation of the trigger it will fire a shot that can be fatal.
Accordingly, it is entirely convenient that the weapon be provided with a device of any kind that can provide a visual and also--under low visibility conditions--tactile indication on the actual condition of the chamber, that is, whether it is loaded with a cartridge or not.
Several devices for indication of in-chamber cartridges are known in the state of the art. Some are of the type wherein a pin protudes from the rear area of the bolt whenever a cartridge is present in the chamber. Such arrangement is expensive and complicated, since it is necessary to provide a long space through the weapon's breech for a pin with an incorporated return spring be properly housed therein, making contact with the cartridge's rear face, whenever it is lodged in the chamber.
More recently, the BERETTA and TAURUS pistons have incorporated in-chamber cartridge indicators by taking advantage of the extractor, which is housed in one of the sides of the bolt. This kind of concept, albeit very simple, is of difficult practical application, as it depends on the force applied by the cartridge's side against the extractor spring, causing the latter to have a slight lateral movement, protuding from the bolt's lateral surface. The construction difficulties basically reside in that it is absolutely necessary to have an interference between the extractor and the cartridge's side in order to provide the extractor's projection so that it becomes visible and detectable. At the same time, additional operating difficulties are introduced in the weapon, mainly at the time of feeding a cartridge, which requires another amount of energy and adjustments for the latter to lodge itself properly in the chamber.